Adjustable broiler grid



Nov. 1, 1938. J.. E. LE NARD ADJUSTABLE BROILER GRID Filed April 15. 1935 W & f .V l 4 INVENTOR. Joseph [Jep rd BY m ATTORNEY Patented Nov. I, 3938 %mamam BROILER. emn

.ioseph E. Leonard, Berkcley, Calif., asslgnor to Hammer-Bray Company, Ltd., Oakland, Cali'., a corporation of Nevada Application April 15, 1935, Serial No. 16,397

VJ'UL 1 s 19 Claims. (Ci. 'Iza-41) means of the character described, which will be' formed as a part of a drawer which is movable into and out of the broiler compartment and upon which the broiler grid or pan is carried.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means of the character described which requires no mutilation of or attachment to any of the stove members, yet is easily and conveniently operated by means which remains concealed except when the broiler compartment is opened.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means of the character described, in which the operative mechanism thereoi is at all times concealed from view and fully shielded from the heat and cooking products in the compartment. A still further object of the invention is to so design the device that when the grid and pan are removed from the broiler compartment, the portion of the device remaining in the compartment will be unobstrusive, easy to clean, and permit of the free use of practically the entire space in the compartment.

The invention possesses other objects and fea 30 tures of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the. drawing accompanying and forming part of the speciflcation. It isto be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawing and description may be adopted with'the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawing:

Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional View taken through a stove broiler compartment equipped with the grid adjusting means of my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken at right angles to the view shown in Figure 1, the plane of the section being indicatedby the line 2-2 in the latter figure. i

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken at right angles to Figure 2, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detail vertical sectional view of a portion of the lever retaining rack'used in the device.

In the embodiment of the invention here described, the means is designed for use in con- 55 nection with a roller supported carrier 2 upon which the broiler pan 3 or other grid element is removably mounted for positionlng in or out of the broiler compartment B. The latter comprises a part of a stove or range and has disposed therein, but not herein shown, a burner or the like which is usually postioned in fixed relation near the top of the compartment.

'The carrier 2, as here illustrated, includes a drawer like structure 6 formed with a bottom wall 1, side walls 8, and a rear wall 9, the front of the drawer structure being preferably left ena tirely open so that the pan may be moved into or out of the structure and access readily had to the pan if desired without removing the same from the compartment. Support of the carrier is by means of rollers H carried by the former and engaging guides or tracks |2 on the bottom of the compartment, and rollers !3 mounted on the 'tracks and engaged bystrips M on the under side of the drawer structure 6.

Positioned within the structure 6 and preferably located adjacent the side walls 8, is a pair of movable rests IS on which the pan 3 is arranged to be supported while on the carrier. The rests extend parallel to said walls, that is from the front to the rear of the structure, and are preferably in the form of strips or plates which may be caused to lie practically flat upon the bottom wall 1. Desirably the portions of the wall 'I underlying the rests IS are depressed so that when the latter are caused to lie in the position aforesaid the rests will be coplanar with the portion I'I of the wall 'I therebetween, and form therewith a relatively smooth flat bottom on which the pan may be superimposcd.

As will be clear from Figure 3', the pan is arranged t'o be supported on the beaded edges l8 of the rests, and the rests are so 'mounted that such edges may be raised or lowered to thereby move the pan when disposed thereon, to difierent elevations on the carrier. To afford the desired raising or lowering of the edges !8, the rests are.

pivotally connected to the drawer structure 'for movement about a horizontal axis parallel to the side walls, and as here shown such connection is made for each rest by means of 'a rod .IS fixed for movement with the associated rest and' pivotally mounted at one end in the rear wall 9 and at the other end in an ear 2| formed on a frontal member 22 at the open end of the struc ture. The member 22 is secured to the bottom and side walls and incidentally provides a reinforcement for the structure. Each of the rods !9 is located immediately adjacent the side walls but above the depressed portion of the bottom wall,

"anddeirablytheportionottherestattherod i oilet upwardly and formed to completely cover the rod. In the iatter connection it will be noted thattheoflsetoccurs attheedgeoitheretad- Joining the side walla and since in' the usual pan design the body portion is narrower than the top or iianged portion, the oflsets will in no way interi'ere with the proper positioning of the pan upon 'the bottom wall of rests in any position of the latter.

To rotate the rests about -ter pivot axes. there is here shown provided a lever !I convenienty fulcruned to the bottom wall by a bolt 24 and connected by means oi links 26 to crank arms 21 fixed to the rods, the links for the diil'erent rods as will be clear !rom Figure 1, being connected to the lever at opposite sides oi the fulcrum bolt. The lever and links are' all located on the under side oi' the bottom wall, while the arms extend Means are provided in association with the lever for releasably locking same in any one of a selective number oi' 'positions so as to thereby cause the rests and consequently the pan to be maintained atthe desired elevation As here shown, such means comprises a segmenta rack 32 conveniently fixed to the frontal member on the under side thereof and having a series of spaced stops 33 lying in the horizontal path of movement of the leven The lever is permitted a limited vertical movement and the stops 33 are so positioned that the lever will clear same whenthe lever is moved'horizontally while in raised position. On theother hand, when the lever is released it will drop into position for engagement with the stops so that its horizontal movement will be limited. Preferably the fa`cesof the stops,

are inclined as shown in Figure 4 that due to the weight of the pan, the latter tends to move and hold the lever in locked engagement with the stops.*and yet at the same time when the lever is moved to elevate the pan, the former will readily slide over the stops.

It desired, the member 22 may be marked to correspond with the stops in order that the operator may readily place the lever in a position required for placing the pan at a desired elevation on the carrier.

It will now be clear that practically all of the partsfor eflecting movement of the broiler grid and !or maintaining same in'desired position are, with the exception of the rests, disposed below the bottom of the drawer, are completely shielded from the interier of the compartment thereabove and particularly so when the rests are in their lowermost position and covering the slots 20. Furthermore, since the rests may be positioned to lie flat upon the bottom of the drawer, and in such position form a smooth and practically uninterrupted portion of such bottom, the task of cleaning the. drawer is rendered simple and easy ,and at the same time no obstructions will be encountered by the pan when being moved into or out of the drawer. A grill 36 or the like may be placed in or upon the pan, and it will be understood that the term grid or pan, as herein used, is intended to cover any element upon which the article to be broiled is supported.

under side of'said partition and manu'aly bperable rrom the front oi the unit to eflect pivotal movement of' the' rests, and means to hold the rests selectively in different positions.

2. In an adjustable grid for a broiler, a supporting unit arranged for positioning in said broiler and having a portion deiining -a horizontal partition for the broiler compartment, gridrests on the upper side oi' said partition pivoted to said unit for movement about horizontal' axes at the sideedges of said partition for movement to and from a position substantially coplanar with said partition, a pan arranged for positioning on said rests to engage an edge thereof, crank arms fixed to said rests i'or pivotal movement therewith and extending through slots in said partition, a lever carried by said unit and pivot-` ally mounted on the under side of said partition and having one arm extended to the front of said unit; links cnnecting said lever and crank arms whereby on rocking oi' said lever said rests will be moved about their pivots to raise and lower said pan, and means tor releasably locking said lever in different positions..

3. In an adjustable grid for a broiler a`drawer mounted for movement intd and ou of said broiler and having a portion deflning a horizontal partition for the broiler compartment when the drawer is disposed therein, grid restspositioned on the 'upper side of said partition and mounted to Swing about horizontal axes along the side edges of said partition for movement upwardly from and downwardly to a position substantially coplanar with said partition, a frame member extending across the front' portion of said drawer and providing a substantial extension of' said partition; said partition and said member 'having slots therein, mechanism carried by 'said the supported weight on said rests, and a pluraiity of stops selectively engageable by 'said lever for holding the ltter against movement in said e direction and to hold said rests in different positions and being of such form that the force of the lever thereagainst will hold the lever in looking engagenent therewith. V

4. In an adjustable grid'for a broiler, a supporting unit arranged for positioning: in 'said broiler and including a relatively'flxed wall portion spaced inwardly from the sides of said unit, movable grid supporting wall portions located at the sides of said first portion and ext'endingsubstantiallycopanar and forming therewith in one position a horizontal partition substantially completely across the unit, and means operable from the front of the unit and positioned under said fixed portion for elevating said movable portions to raise the grid supported thereon.

porting' unit arranged for positioning in said broiler and including a. relatively' fixed horizontal wall section spaced inwa'dly from the sides of said unit, movable wall sections forming in one position substantially horizontal extensions of said first section, a grid having a. central depressed portion resting on said movable sections and having raised side portions overlying and spaced from said movable sections, said movable sections being pivoted at points between said raised side portions and said fixed section and adjacent the sides of said unit, and means covered by said fixed and movabie sections operative from the front' of the unit for moving said sections about the pvots.

- J OSEPH E. LEONARD. 

